Gabriele D’Agostino : Between Matter & Light
Multidisciplinary creator, Gabriele D’Agostino’s work spans design, photography, and the exploration of materials. His approach, at the intersection of architecture and exceptional craftsmanship, reveals a subtle mastery of textures, shapes, and light. As a designer, he shapes objects and spaces where structural rigor blends with a nearly tactile sensitivity, creating pieces that are both powerful and refined. As a photographer, he captures the essence of materials, playing with contrasts and reflections to elevate each detail with near-sculptural precision.
The photographer was recently awarded second place in the 2024 edition of the Global Open Call for 18-30 Year Old Photographers – Unpublished Photo, organized by Musec in Lugano. His series Cuore Nero-Metrò, shot with a mobile phone, intensely documents life within the Milan subway, revealing the humanity that emerges from an impersonal urban space. His ten winning photographs are displayed alongside those of the three other winners at Musec until March 9th.
Currently, Gabriele D’Agostino continues his exploration of materials through a new series of works where the rawness of textures dialogues with minimalist interventions. His visual language, where shadow and light become integral architectural elements, fits into a contemporary dynamic where the craft gesture regains its full nobility. Constantly pushing the boundaries between functionality and abstraction, he imposes an aesthetic that is both raw and sophisticated, rooted in a quest for essence and meaning.
Website : www.gabrieledagostino.com
Instagram : dagojournal
Your first photographic trigger ?
Gabriele D’Agostino : I took my first photo of my mum and my sister Delia in Cefalù, a charming village near Palermo.
The male or female image that inspired you?
G.D’A. : My muse in fashion was Cameron Hanmond , while Paolo Pellegrini was an inspiring reporter for me.
The image you would have liked to have taken?
G.D’A. : I have no regrets. I love every single photograph I have taken so far. I put my heart in my shootings. Maybe my best shoot is the one I haven’t already taken. Who knows?
The one that moved you the most?
G.D’A. : Isabella, my ex girlfriend. Paros, (Greece) 2023 at sunset.
And the one that made you the most angry?
G.D’A. : I’m not sure I have an angry picture in my portfolio. Shooting makes me feel safe and at the right place, always.
Which photo changed the world for you?
G.D’A. : I do believe that a picture doesn’t change the world, it may contribute to the way you see what happens around you and to the way you look at things, find solutions, give reasons. It’s a pair of glasses, a lens to other perspectives, other solutions, other point of views.
And which photo changed your world?
G.D’A. : My sister Delia in front of the window at our mum’s on her wedding day. It was inspirational to me.
What interests you most about an image?
G.D’A. : Composition, chiaroscuro and dept of field are my priorities in shooting.
A key image in your personal pantheon?
G.D’A. : It was my dear friend Andrea La Rosa that showed me this incredible camera. It was my “guru “of the analog world. This happened many years ago.
A photographic memory from your childhood?
G.D’A. : Villa Giulia Gardens with its gorgeous flowers and the stunning sunsets form the terrace overlooking the Eolian Islands of our house in Gliaca di Piraino, Messina.
According to you, what are the necessary qualities to be a good photographer?
G.D’A. : Feel, listen and see what happens around you. That’s what a great photographer should be made of.
What makes a good photo?
G.D’A. : It’s what there was in the background, the story behind, the feelings that it left in your heart.
The person you would like to photograph?
G.D’A. : Anne Hathaway, no doubt.
An indispensable photo book?
G.D’A. : The first photo book my mum bought for me: Ferdinando Scianna: La geometria e la compassione
The camera from your childhood?
G.D’A. : It was a Canon AE-1+ 50mm f1.2 FD
The one you use today?
G.D’A. : I’m using Hasselblad X2D + 55mm and Leica Q3 for digital. Zenza Bronica 645 and Canon AE-1 for analog.
How do you choose your projects ?
G.D’A. : On a daily basis. When something catches my heart and soul, it lasts forever in a pic. Easy.
How would you describe your creative process?
G.D’A. : Look, observe, see. No more is needed.
An upcoming project that’s close to your heart?
G.D’A. : I’m spending the next month in London. The London Tube will be the perfect place to keep telling about Love.
Your favorite drug?
G.D’A. : Peoples feedback when they react to my works.
The best way to disconnect for you ?
G.D’A. : Walking somewhere I have never been before with my camera.
What is your relationship to the image ?
G.D’A. : I’m very rigorous about composing and geometry.
Who would you like to be photographed by ?
G.D’A. : Clara Greco!
Your latest folly?
G.D’A. : My first Hasselblad camera.
An image to illustrate a new banknote (what would it look like)?
G.D’A. : People don’t pay by cash any more. I think we could think of different ways to illustrate money.
If you would not have been a photographer you would have been a… ?
G.D’A. : I am also an interior designer, a cook, and a caring brother and son.
The job you would not have liked to do ?
G.D’A. : Any job where art is not appreciated.
Your greatest professional extravagance?
G.D’A. : Climbing up to the mountain overlooking the Eolian island to shoot Mahmood on a hot summer day. That was hilarious.
What question gets you off track?
G.D’A. : What will you do in 10 years time?
What was the last thing you did for the first time?
G.D’A. : I went to Brazil on a reportage project.
The city, the country or the culture you dream of discovering?
G.D’A. : French Polynesia.
The place you never get tired of ?
G.D’A. : My place is a village by the sea near Palermo. Its name is Terrasini. It’s magical.
Your biggest regret ?
G.D’A. : Having regrets.
In terms of social networks, are you more into Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok or Snapchat and why?
G.D’A. : I use Instagram for work and Tik Tok for fun and vloggig.
Color or B&W?
G.D’A. : Black and white.
Daylight or artificial light?
G.D’A. : Daylight.
Which city do you think is the most photogenic?
G.D’A. : For what I have experienced so far, New York and London are my favourite landmarks.
If God existed would you ask him to pose for you, or would you opt for a selfie with him?
G.D’A. : I’d ask Him to show me the way ( although I think He already works hard for me) and then steal a picture of Him.
If I could organize your ideal dinner party, who would be at the table?
G.D’A. : Delia and Vincenzo (my sister and my brother); my grand parents and my best friend Giovanni Sauro.
The image that represents for you the current state of the world?
G.D’A. : A spinning wheel.
According to you, what is missing in today’s world?
G.D’A. : People don’t seize the moment.
If you had to start all over again?
G.D’A. : I wish I could!
What do you like people to say about you?
G.D’A. : “When did you take that picture of me?”
The one thing we absolutely must know about you?
G.D’A. : My mantra: When there’s a will, there’s a way
